EngLib
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Ada Lovelace Day
Posted: 24 Mar 2009 12:50 PM PDT
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Englib/~3/KVgKNPo_MZU/
Today, March 24th, is Ada Lovelace Day. It is an international day that wants to draw attention to women excelling in technology.
I would like to highlight two women here that I admire for their technological skills. I also have the pleasure of knowing them personally and, bonus, theyre librarians!
Jill Hurst-Wahl is an expert on digitization and social web tools like Second Life. She has her own consulting firm, Hurst Associates and is a faculty member at Syracuse University at the School of Information Studies. She blogs at Digitization 101.
Stacey Greenwell is an expert on information/learning commons. She is the Universtiy of Kentuckys Information Commons Hub librarian and a former IT support professional. She blogs at The Uncommon Commons.
With these spotlights, I do not wish to undermine all the other women I know that make techology sing (and there are many of them) - please ladies, rock on!
Post from: EngLib
EngLib
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2, 000 000th document in IEEE Xplore
Posted: 19 Mar 2009 12:04 PM PDT
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Englib/~3/k4waeRoUZpw/
Brian C Gray shared this morning that the IEEE Xplore database reached two
million documents this month.
The two millionth article loaded into IEEE Xplore is Intelligent Packet
Dropping for Optimal Energy-Delay Tradeoffs in Wireless Downlinks,” by
Michael J. Neely from the University of Southern California. It appears in
the March issue of IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control.
You can download a copy for free.
I remember when IEEE made this database available. And I remember making
the case for it in a previous job. It was pretty much a no-brainer for us.
Kudos to IEEE!
Post from: EngLib
EngLib
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Comments to libraries
Posted: 17 Mar 2009 10:00 AM PDT
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Englib/~3/myG6CGKDJ90/
I have seen two examples recently of libraries reaching out to their users
to gather their comments.
Concordia University Libraries, in Montréal, Qué is using a web form (?) to
gather comments and publishes responses via a blog. Questions/comments and
answers are coming at a good clip. The Libraries administration actually
uses the comments to improve services (as evidenced by double-sided printed
by default and a Working Group on Noise)
Western Washington University, in Bellingham, WA held a 14 Days to have
your say event this past spring. They open up a blog where students could
just say what they wanted about the libraries for a two-week period.
Students could also comment on other posts. The libraries provided input
and comment after the period and offered a report on what’s been acted on
and addressed.
Im interested in these initiatives because it has proved difficult to get
my users opinions (Im not naive enough to believe they dont have any
comments to make about the library). We have a webform that has basically
been unused. The Facebook discussion board is silent as well. Sometimes,
students will comment to the evening student assistant but do not wish to
put their comments in writing. Maybe turning the thing into an event could
bring the comments out, short of organized surveys or focus groups.
Post from: EngLib
EngLib
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2009 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards
Posted: 06 Mar 2009 12:21 PM PST
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Englib/~3/07b4m7hvd1Y/
The American Institute of Architects selected eight recipients for the 2009
AIA/ALA Library Building Awards. For each winning library, I tried to link
to the website and to project details, via the architects sites and/or via
the Architectural Record, if available.
Arabian Library, Scottsdale Public Library, Scottsdale, Arizona
richard+bauer architecture, LLC
about the project
C.V. Starr East Asian Library, University of California Berkeley
Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects
about the project
Chongqing Library, Chongqing, China
Perkins Eastman
Biblioteca Central Estatal Wigberto Jiménez Moreno, León, Guanajuato, Mexico
Pei Partnership Architects LLP
NYPL Francis Martin Library, Bronx, New York
1100 Architect, P.C. (not a direct link to the project)
Gentry Public Library, Gentry, Arkansas
Marlon Blackwell Architect
about the project
Minneapolis Central Library, Minneapolis
Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
about the project
Palo Verde Library / Maryvale Community Center, Phoenix
Gould Evans Associates + Wendell Burnette Architects (no direct links to
the project)
about the project
Post from: EngLib
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ARL Statement to scholarly publishers on the global economic crisis
Posted: 06 Mar 2009 11:35 AM PST
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Englib/~3/4AHrOpO8C3A/
A little late, but interesting reading, ARL published mid-February a
statement to publishers regarding research libraries and the global
economic crisis. The document lists a few of the effects the economic
crisis has on research libraries:
current and future -possibly permanent -budget cuts
cancellation of ongoing commitments
bigger preference of electronic over print
shortening of long tail collection development
changes in pricing models, which affects mostly negatively the bigger
institutions.
ARL then makes recommendations to scholarly publishers about pricing,
contract terms and renegociation, swith to electronic only, archiving, open
access, and consultation with libraries.
Post from: EngLib
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Big changes for McGraw-Hill Digital Engineering Library
Posted: 06 Mar 2009 07:58 AM PST
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Englib/~3/-nfnH7HnA_c/
McGraw-Hill announced a major revision of its Digital Engineering Library.
The new site will be called AccessEngineering and the URL
(http://accessengineeringlibrary.com) will be activated March 9th 2009.
The new site will offer new features and enhancements, including:
New graphical user interface: state-of-the art functionality streamlines
access to content and reader
New taxonomy book view: the website is now book-centric with faster
title-by-title access to our premiere engineering collection
Improved Advanced Search: faster search and access to more accurate content
that saves time and delivers exact results
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Engineering embedded on all search pages: search
and generate results from the world-renowned McGraw-Hill Dictionary of
Engineering, which contains more than 18,000 entries containing synonyms,
acronyms, abbreviations, and a pronunciation guide are included for each
term.
Unfortunately, no FAQ or advance views are available before March 9th.
Post from: EngLib
EngLib
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Going underground for scholarly content
Posted: 05 Mar 2009 12:30 PM PST
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Englib/~3/jzIlSs8RZ-g/
Brian Scott Mathews over at The Ubiquitous Librarian made some very interesting looking into the underground market for academic materials via illegal file sharing sites like bit torrent. Apparently, his fictional research brought up big time reference titles like the CRC handbooks, the entire Referex engineering e-book collection, Harvard Business Cases, textbooks and tutti quanti.
Hey, does it matter where the students get it if they do use scholarly, quality sources? At least, they not Googling everything? Well, theres the thorny, ginormous issue of copyright. I cannot condone students downloading illegaly but now, I cannot ignore it either.
Post from: EngLib
EngLib
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Harvard Libraries Provost calls for improved libraries
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 08:36 AM PST
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Englib/~3/NcamNFKS6lY/
Harvard University Provost Steven E. Hyman created a committee charged with
improving the efficiency of the universitys library system. Since Harvards
creation in 1638, no less than 75 different units have been instituted and
have evolved organically. Some branches are autonomous, other services are
centralized. The desired outcome would be recommendations to improve the
strength and efficiency of the University’s library system. Economic
reasons are cited.
Because of the size of the system and its importance as a research library,
this should be a very interesting process for anyone who works in an
academic/research library system. No doubt a multi-year effort.
Post from: EngLib
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Best Sci-Tech Books of 2008
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 07:58 AM PST
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Englib/~3/dLfGaRyJzSI/
Library Journal just published its list of best 2008 sci-tech books.
Something for everyone.
(Thanks John Dupuis for the heads-up)
Post from: EngLib
